NJPW G1 Climax 2018, Week 2: Every Match Ranked From Worst To Best

4. Zack Sabre Jr. Vs. SANADA (21 July)

Hangman Page Kazuchika Okada
NJPW

Rating: ****1/4

SANADA and Zack Sabre Jr. contested a handsome battle fit to rival Hangman Page's sexy scrap with Kota Ibushi, locking in submissions as sublime as their superb stomachs, but it wasn't only abs up for grabs as the LIJ "hunk" made amends for his New Japan cup slip-up.

'ZSJ' was utterly furious in the aftermath, abusing Young Lions and barricades with equal ferocity - traits that mirrored his Suzuki-Gun leader and mentor Minoru Suzuki. Zack and 'The King' have attempted similar strategies in an effort to dominate both blocks, but SANADA locking down the submission specialist unlocked Sabre's wild side, wrecking the Brit's laser-focused attacks when he needed it least.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett